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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232463">All That You Rely On</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/misscoconi/pseuds/misscoconi'>misscoconi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, F/F, Fear of Death, Grief/Mourning, Late Night Conversations, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, M/M, Parental Figure Urbosa (Legend of Zelda), Reminiscing, and good ol' hugs, anticipatory grief, finding comfort in shared experiences, wlw/mlm solidarity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:33:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,909</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/misscoconi/pseuds/misscoconi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Urbosa's spirit will soon leave this world, but she can still tell Link a thing or two about grief.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daruk &amp; Mipha &amp; Revali &amp; Urbosa (Legend of Zelda), Link &amp; Urbosa (Legend of Zelda), Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda), Urbosa/Zelda's Mother (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All That You Rely On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is a clear, starry night at the East Gerudo Mesa, and the howling wind would force a shiver down Urbosa’s spine were she alive and able to feel it.</p><p>From her perch atop Vah Naboris’ head, Urbosa has a clear view of the sickening rot and swirling clouds of malice surrounding Hyrule Castle, as well as the four beams of light pointing at it from across the land. Should she choose to turn around, she would be greeted by miles upon miles of her beloved desert: a dark, freezing sea of sand with the occasional blue glow of a shrine piercing the night. As beloved a sight as it is, Urbosa finds the inviting glow of Gerudo Town a little too painful to bear once the sun goes down. She can feel her home calling to her, silently offering the comfort and sense of community she has forgone for over a century, and her heart yearns for it despite her best efforts. She has long since accepted her death, but her newly freed spirit sometimes forgets in the face of familiar sights now available to her after years of captivity.</p><p><em>Freedom can be a double-edged sword</em>, the late Queen of Hyrule had once told her as they lounged on plush cushions and shared a bottle of wine at the Gerudo palace, bright moonlight washing over the terrace. The Hylian’s lips had quirked in a small, sad smile as her fingers stroked the ornate wedding ring on her left hand, but her eyes harbored no resentment — only determination. <em>Duty keeps you grounded. It won’t let you falter.</em></p><p>In life, the Queen’s words had struck Urbosa as an admission of defeat. Now, as the Gerudo awaits her chance to finally fulfill her role as a Champion, she thinks she understands them a little better.</p><p>Will she get to hear that voice again, once it is all said and done? Once she is nothing but grains of sand in the wind?</p><p>A quiet rumbling at Urbosa’s feet distracts her from her musings, and she kneels to gently pat the rugged surface of Naboris’ head. The Divine Beast is always highly attuned to its Champion’s state of mind, and, while skittish and temperamental most of the time, it is always quick to offer its own brand of noisy reassurance when needed. The reverberation coursing through Naboris reminds Urbosa of the soft, guttural cries that sand seals make when petted by someone who has earned their affections, and her heart swells with gratitude. Dead or alive, she is never truly alone.</p><p>It is a shame Naboris will have to become acquainted with someone all over again once Urbosa leaves this world for good. However, if Link’s judgement can be trusted (and Urbosa knows it can), the new Gerudo chief shows courage, wit, and an undying love for sand seals — all traits that will help her gain the Beast’s trust, if slowly and painstakingly. If Riju succeeds, she will gain the most loyal friend and life companion she could ever ask for.</p><p><em>When</em> <em>she succeeds</em>, Urbosa amends with a confident quirk of her blue lips. After all, a Gerudo never gives up.</p><p>As Urbosa’s fingers distractedly trace patterns on ancient stone, she peers at the distant silhouettes of the other Divine Beasts, wondering if the time to strike draws near. All Champions are free and ready to call the attack, but it seems Link’s quest is not yet over. Link, endeavoring to regain his old strength and seeking to increase his odds of success, appears intent on finding every single shrine Hyrule has to offer; unsurprisingly, he also takes it upon himself to defeat hordes upon hordes of monsters and helps every single troubled pilgrim on his path. Urbosa’s spirit is often called to Link’s side in a flash of green lightning to aid him in combat, and the Hylian is so openly grateful for her help it is not uncommon for him to pay her a visit. He claims being in the presence of a Champion helps him retrieve and piece together the scattered glimpses that make up the bulk of his memories, but Urbosa can see right through him, his old guarded expression now an open book.</p><p><em> Lonely souls flock together, don’t they? </em> Her friend’s voice rings loud and clear in Urbosa’s mind, another recollection from a time long gone, and the Gerudo nods to herself in agreement. She cannot bring herself to call Link out on his true intentions — not when she enjoys the boy’s company just as much.</p><p>It does not come as a surprise when swirling blue light coalesces by Naboris’ feet, revealing a blond Hylian clad in colorful <em> vai </em> attire. Urbosa’s heart warms at the sight. Ever since she mentioned in passing that seeing Link in Gerudo clothes felt like a breeze of home, the knight has, without fail, alternated between his <em> vai </em> and <em> voe </em> sets whenever he visits her. Urbosa may be unable to feel the night chill, but she knows Link must drink a spicy elixir every time he does this to avoid succumbing to hypothermia.</p><p>Urbosa shakes her head with a fond smile, and, in the blink of an eye, she materializes in front of the Hylian. Link waves a hand in greeting, but there is a certain stiffness to his gait and, while most of his face is hidden by a veil, his eyes appear dull. Troubled.</p><p>It is an eerily familiar sight.</p><p>“Ah! Now <em> that </em>brings me back.” Urbosa leans over with her hands on her hips, staring right into Link’s eyes from up close. The Hylian’s shoulders give the slightest start, but he does not look away. “The little bird often had that look on her face when she came to me for advice, but I wouldn’t have expected you to do the same.”</p><p>Link grimaces and looks away, “me neither” written clear as day all over his windburned face. Urbosa chuckles and sits on the ground without ceremony, propping her head against her knee and patting the ground next to her. Link follows suit, worrying the soft silk of his sirwal between his fingers and keeping his eyes trained on the sprawling land ahead. After a beat of stillness, his veil swells in a deep exhale before he speaks.</p><p>“You mentioned your diary last time I visited. Said I should show it to the Princess.” Link clenches and unclenches his fists, his gaze never leaving the horizon. “I… might have read it.”</p><p>Urbosa barely suppresses a snort. “There is no shame in that, <em> vehvi</em>. I fully expected you to.”</p><p>She does snort when Link’s shoulders visibly sag with relief, and she claps his back in reassurance. Belatedly, Urbosa realizes her touch will barely register, but Link seems to appreciate it nonetheless, if the crinkle in his eye is anything to go by.</p><p>“That cannot be what is troubling you so, though.” Urbosa whispers.</p><p>Link’s brow furrows, and he sharply turns his face away. The Gerudo can almost feel the cold air creeping into her lifeless form at the sudden shift. Dry specks of dirt swirl in the howling wind around them as their silence drags on, but it is not an uncomfortable one. The young knight Urbosa used to know would rarely use his voice, and his quiet presence was reassuring once you learned to read him. Once he opened up enough to let you do that.</p><p>The person sitting by her side is different, however. This Link is wilder and louder, a chaotic force of nature with a surprisingly cheeky streak, yet his eyes are impossibly old and filled with a melancholy the boy does not quite comprehend himself. He appears to be battling with that melancholy as he opens his mouth once more, his voice a quiet rasp.</p><p>“To be honest, I’ve read everyone’s memoirs… with or without their permission.” Link pauses as if waiting for Urbosa to reprimand him, but the Gerudo merely nods along. “I figured they might help loosen up something in here,” He taps a knuckle against his temple, and the golden bracelet adorning his wrist jingles softly.</p><p>“Well, did they?”</p><p>“Not really.” Link scoffs, and the sound rings bitter in Urbosa’s ears. “They helped me understand some things better, I guess, but there was something… different about your diary.”</p><p>“Is that so?” Urbosa closes her eyes, a rueful smile on her lips. She knows what is coming.</p><p>“You’re the only one who talked about loss.”</p><p>And there it was. Urbosa has pictured herself having this conversation with Zelda many times, but it is a topic the Princess always carefully avoided. She was always happy to reminisce about her mother, but the instant their conversation inched towards mourning, she would be quick to deflect. The Gerudo never thought Link of all people would be the one to take her place.</p><p>“Is that what brings you here tonight, little <em> voe</em>?” She carefully squeezes Link’s shoulder, willing her grip not to phase through him. “Grief?”</p><p>Link sucks in a breath, and he slowly unclasps the front piece of his veil, revealing droopy ears and a tense jaw line. He still does not look at Urbosa, eyes fixed on the colorful fabric in his grip.</p><p>“I don’t know.” He chuckles, but it is a mirthless, feeble sound. “Can you even grieve someone you don’t remember?”</p><p>Urbosa’s heart has remained still for one hundred years, yet she feels it come to a painful stop as the words leave Link’s mouth. She does not get the chance to think of an answer before the boy carries on with a clear waver to his voice that he valiantly ignores.</p><p>“I know I should be grieving the family I lost. My father, my sister,” He spits the words like they are foreign to him, merely a concept in an old dictionary. “But I don’t… remember them at all. For the longest time, I didn’t even know I <em> had </em> a family.” He crumples in on himself, still clutching the veil. Urbosa worries he will rip it to shreds if he keeps gripping it like that, but she does not dare take it from him.</p><p>“I don’t even remember what they looked like.” Link murmurs.</p><p>Urbosa squeezes Link’s arm once more to get his attention, and the boy turns to face her with wary eyes. The Gerudo is starkly reminded of the night she had to drag Zelda out of the icy waters of a spring after yet another session of fruitless training. Her little bird had looked just as lost as Link. Just as young and fearful.</p><p>And now, Zelda is all alone, holding back an ancient evil with all her might while her knight is left to fend for himself and somehow save them all. Many claim the Goddess is naught but a beacon of virtue, a merciful and loving protector, but in times like these, Urbosa would be inclined to disagree.</p><p>“I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it, but you must give it time, Link.” Urbosa hates the words the moment they leave her mouth, but she knows them to be true and necessary. “Your slumber was a long one. I imagine it’ll take time for all your memories to fully wake.”</p><p><em> Years, perhaps</em>. She muses, but does not voice it. Urbosa knows herself to be blunt, but she is well aware of the difference between honesty and unnecessary cruelty.</p><p>Almost as if reading her thoughts, Link grimaces and shakes his head. He digs his Sheikah slate out of the worn pouch at his hip, and he taps through multiple screens with jerky movements. Urbosa finds herself leaning into Link’s personal space as small pictures of Hyrule flash before her eyes — well known fields and buildings ravaged by decay, Dinraal coursing through the skies, Cuccos fluttering about in Kakariko Village, endless wild horses and stable dogs — until Link finally finds what he is looking for.</p><p>The Champions’ group picture after the inauguration ceremony at Hyrule Castle.</p><p>“My family are strangers to me, but you aren’t.” Link’s fingers lightly trace the glowing screen. “I may not remember enough from before the Calamity, but I know where we all stand now.” He glances up at Urbosa with a crooked smile that does not reach his eyes. “I know you’re the ones I’ll mourn if I succeed.”</p><p>Urbosa cannot help but mirror the boy’s hollow smile. “We’ve been gone for a long time, Link.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“But Zelda isn’t. She’ll be there for you, and you for her.” Urbosa reaches out and touches the Sheikah slate, long fingers hovering over Link and Zelda’s faces in the picture. “The two of you living on, sealing the Calamity, and watching over our lands… that’s how you honor us. That’s how you lay us down to rest.”</p><p>For a long moment, Link remains silent. He merely stares at their fingers resting side by side against the screen. Urbosa’s hands are much bigger than Link’s, and her iron grip could have easily defeated the Hylian in an arm-wrestling competition while she still walked among the living, but they appear oddly fragile in their see-through state.</p><p>“I’ll still miss… all of you.” Link whispers, and there is such dejection flooding out of him that a playful remark leaves Urbosa’s mouth before she can think better of it, eager to lift the boy’s spirits in some way.</p><p>“Even Revali? I don’t imagine death has made him any less hostile towards you, and not even the Calamity could put an end to his prattle.”</p><p>To Urbosa’s infinite surprise, Link’s shoulders give a jolt at the sound of Revali’s name and he ducks his head, letting his bangs obscure his face. Without the barrier of his veil to hide him, however, the bright pink of his ears is clearly visible beneath the bright moonlight. Urbosa freezes.</p><p><em> Oh, Hylia</em>.</p><p>“Don’t tell me…” She prods, voice wavering in quiet disbelief. Link buries his face in his hands with a groan, and his Sheikah slate falls into his lap with a dull thud. The jostled screen zooms in on Revali’s dumbstruck face and, for once, Urbosa shares the Rito’s sentiment.</p><p>“All of my memories of him told me he hated me. I wanted to make things right.” Link’s voice comes out muffled and hoarse, and Urbosa can see the pads of his fingers digging into his temples. “It was like pulling a tooth for the longest time, but we ended up understanding each other. I started visiting him more often, using his Gale whenever I could just… just because, and, before I knew it, I… we…”</p><p>Link’s hands drop, and the sheer tenderness Urbosa sees in his expression strikes a loud chord in her unbeating heart, digging into old, nearly healed cracks and <em> pulling</em>. Soft, melodic laughter rings in her ears, along with the rustling of a heavy royal gown against stone floors, the sweet notes of an old ocarina…</p><p><em> Soon</em>, she reminds herself. Her hand flies of its own accord to rub soothing circles on Link’s back, and she focuses on the distant feeling of a solid, living body to remain in the present. <em> But right now, he needs you. </em></p><p>Urbosa always had an inkling there was more to Revali’s animosity towards Link than what the birdbrain let on, but she never expected anything to come of it. She had even discussed it with Daruk once over some drinks — very few people could hold their liquor like Urbosa did, and the Goron was one of them — and they both agreed not to interfere for the time being. They had more than enough on their plates with the impending Calamity banging at their door, and both were aware Revali was not the only one who harbored unresolved feelings towards the silent knight. Any push in the wrong direction could make things awkward between the Champions, and they needed to remain united.</p><p>It seems their intervention was not necessary in the end, even if the unexpected resolution came a hundred years too late. Urbosa must admit there is an element of morbid comedy in the fact that it took death itself for Revali to confront his own feelings, but there is nothing humorous about the sorrowful look on Link’s face. The path he has chosen inevitably leads to a grief that Urbosa understands all too well, and that must be why he is here tonight, seeking her counsel.</p><p>“It’s foolish, isn’t it?” Link breathes, staring off into the distance. The veil on his head flutters and shimmers in the wind, and he blinks away the specs of dust that fly into his eyes. “Falling for someone who’s dead.”</p><p>“No,” A smile pulls at Urbosa’s lips, genuine this time. If she had known all along her friend would leave this world before her time, Urbosa would have loved her just as fiercely. “No, it isn’t.”</p><p>Link’s lips twitch. “Revali would disagree.”</p><p>“When has he ever agreed with anyone?” The Gerudo spits, rolling her eyes. Link snorts and shakes his head, looking equal parts exasperated and fond. “Besides which,” Urbosa places a careful hand on Link’s chest, and the faint throbbing of a pulse — fast and steady, and so, so alive — makes her soul ache. “The heart wants what it wants. We are powerless against it, <em> vehvi</em>.”</p><p>Link does not reply, but the shaky fingers that close around Urbosa’s speak louder than a choir. She does not remove her hand as they gaze at the grim, malice-ridden horizon in silence, with the low creaking of Naboris’ gears and the occasional buzzing of distant electric Keese as their only company.</p><p>The moon is high in the sky when Link finally lets go of Urbosa’s hand, and his breath paints the cold air a foggy white when he opens his mouth.</p><p>“Do you miss her still?” Link murmurs, his voice wavering ever so slightly.</p><p>“Every second of every day.” The answer rolls off Urbosa’s tongue with ease, a truth bigger than the endless plains of Gerudo Desert. “The same way I did when I was still alive.”</p><p>“So, it never stops hurting?” Scarred fists clench under soft fabric, pulling at the seams of puffy sleeves. Link’s unruly hair hides his expression from view.</p><p>“Grief is sharp and unforgiving, a blade befitting the strength of the wielder’s love,” Urbosa grasps in vain for the familiar weight of a scimitar at her hip. Distantly, she hopes Link is making good use of the gift her people gave him. “But, like any weapon, it slowly loses its edge over time. It can still inflict great pain when blunt, however, and one tends to forget that.”</p><p>She recalls the sharp blow to her gut when the most inane things would remind her of her beloved: a meaningless trinket, the morning cry of a songbird, a passionate rant, gentle light filtering through stained glass…</p><p>“Grief strikes when you least expect it, and you learn to brace for it while still holding on to your dear memories. And little by little, as years go by, the pain it inflicts becomes dull too.”</p><p>Urbosa chances a glance at her side and two wide eyes meet her gaze straight on, hanging to her every word in enrapturement as if she held the secrets of the universe. She deeply wishes Link had no use for such grim talk, but there is no use lamenting what is inevitable. Her words might also reach her dear Zelda one day and help her with the many losses she will have to confront once the Calamity is slain and sealed away.</p><p>And, judging from the dread that envelops Link like a dark shroud, that fateful day will soon be upon them.</p><p>“It’s been an awfully long time,” Urbosa sighs, gazing at the skies. A star fragment slowly trickles down the firmament, getting lost in the thick mist of the nearby Faron Grasslands. “But I know I shall see her again very soon.”</p><p>Link frowns and fidgets with his Sheikah slate, gone dim after a long period of disuse. “How can you be so sure?” Merely a second later, he cringes and curses under his breath. “Sorry, that’s… probably not the nicest thing to ask a ghost.”</p><p>Urbosa guffaws, and the clear sound resonates in the stillness of the mesa. “I wouldn’t say that I know for sure, but if a young knight can wake from a century-old slumber and have a chat with a long-dead friend, I figure anything is possible.” She grins at Link, and the shadow of a smile touches the boy’s wobbly lips, even if doubt is still a tight noose around his neck. “We all remained here against all odds because our duty was left unfulfilled; our spirits were that stubborn. Well, I happen to know <em> someone </em> who is more obstinate than all of us combined.”</p><p>It is Link’s turn to bark out a watery laugh, and Urbosa pretends not to see him aggressively swipe at his eyes with a sleeve.</p><p>“Can you believe he still wants us to settle the score? To have a duel?” Link croaks, laughter and shaky breaths still bubbling out of him. “He’s in love with me, and he still wants to kick my ass to prove a point.”</p><p>“That sounds like our charming Rito Champion, alright.” Urbosa sighs, relishing the mental image of Revali’s utter indignation at their gossip. “If the Goddess wills, that wish alone might prove strong enough for you to meet him again.”</p><p>The screen on the Sheikah slate lights up once more under Link’s touch, and the Champions’ surprised faces stare back at them. Urbosa wishes they had taken more pictures, spent more time together as a group… given Link and Zelda more moments to cherish when the world they are left to rebuild becomes too heavy to bear. She would like her power — her Fury — to remain within Link once she is gone, but she will have to trust Riju to remain her living legacy and, hopefully, a good friend to Link.</p><p>She hopes Link has made good friends among the Rito as well.</p><p>“I want to meet <em> all </em> of you again.” Link keeps his voice low, but it still betrays him by breaking mid-sentence. “I don’t want to say goodbye, but I know I’ll have to. I know I’ll eventually run out of preparations to make, of places and people to save, and I can’t… keep Zelda waiting.”</p><p>Gently and with great effort for a barely corporeal spirit, Urbosa pries Link’s death grip on the Sheikah slate loose, letting the device rest on his lap once more. Link’s breath catches, and the Gerudo feels warm tears fall through her hands to splash on the glowing screen.</p><p>Right on Revali’s face.</p><p>“I’m <em> terrified</em>, Urbosa.” Link sobs, and the sound rips the Gerudo’s heart to shreds. She wraps an arm around him and brings him close, letting his forehead rest on her shoulder. Link does not resist; he sags against Urbosa, and his arms fall limp at his sides. Above them, the ever-watching Naboris emits an eerie, guttural cry, sending a subdued rumble through the hard ground beneath their feet. Urbosa knows it must rattle deep within Link’s ribcage, and she wonders if it gives him the same solace it used to give her, back when she was flesh and bones.</p><p>She nods at her Divine Beast in gratitude regardless.</p><p>“You would not be human if you weren’t at least a bit scared, little <em> voe</em>.” Urbosa pats Link’s veiled head, comforting him with all her might. “But I promise you: you’re not alone. We’ll stick with you until the very end, until Calamity Ganon is no more, and then,” She edges away from Link to look him in the eye, her forehead pressed to his in a Gerudo warrior’s salute, “And then we trust you and Zelda to watch over our peoples, until we meet again where the sun rises upon the land.”</p><p>Link’s eyes are filled with unshed tears, and he audibly swallows at Urbosa’s words, but the solemn nod he gives her is nothing but determined. For an instant, the Gerudo thinks she sees his right hand glow the color of Hylia’s divine power, and she takes it for the good omen it must be.</p><p>She believes the sword that seals the darkness could not have chosen a better person to wield it.</p><p>“We will be ready when you are, so allow yourself some comfort from the ones you love.” Urbosa resumes her embrace and, this time, Link eagerly reciprocates. “Because that, more than anything in this world, will be your biggest source of strength.”</p><hr/><p>Under a bright and cloudless sky, the castle once ravaged by corruption stands tall and proud, overseeing a field of endless green. There is a faint ringing in the crisp air, an echo of the Dark Beast’s piercing screech after a light arrow punctured its eye, ending a century of fear and misery in a single, blinding instant.</p><p>Two small figures with golden hair meet on the battlefield. They stare at one another in open wonder for the longest time, until one breaks the stillness with a fateful question. Soon enough they are hurtling forward and holding each other desperately, tears streaming down their dirty, weary faces.</p><p>Unbeknown to either of them, a group of solemn spirits observe the Hylians from above, floating near Hyrule Castle’s highest tower with an unearthly glow. All five of them yearn to join the pair’s embrace, but none of them can. Their time in this world is up, and they are being called away.</p><p>The Champions hover behind their King, who has eyes for no one but his daughter far down below. They do not distract him, knowing this to be an intimate moment; instead, they glance at one another, boundless triumph and joy intermingled with deep sorrow in every stare. They nod their greetings in silence before looking back at their Hylian companions, the ones who outlived them and will honor their memory.</p><p>Their souls slowly fade under the harsh sunlight as the call from beyond grows stronger, and all of them ready themselves to answer. All but one, who resists, his form flickering like a feeble flame in a gust of wind, ghostly feathers puffed in agitation.</p><p>Urbosa places a gentle hand on Revali’s shoulder and he jolts, sending a shock of static through the Gerudo’s form. He does not turn to look at her.</p><p>“I know.” She squeezes Revali’s wing and braces for him to swat at her, but he does not move an inch. The flickering subsides. “He’ll be fine, in due time. He gets to live and grow old, and no matter how many old memories are lost to him, the new ones will remain.”</p><p>“So they will.” Revali replies in a less than half-hearted scoff, staring intently at the exhausted knight on the field. Without the barrier of an old façade, his affection is displayed clear as day by the quirk of his beak and the sad crinkle in his eyes. “I suppose a Hylian lifetime is hardly a long wait, all things considered… for us to settle the score, that is.”</p><p>“Oh, give it a rest, will you?” Urbosa shoves him without malice, snickering at the familiarity of it. Revali squawks, but there is a reticent gratitude in his eyes when he glares at her.</p><p>“Let us be off, guys!” Daruk interrupts, and his voice is just as warm and comforting as Urbosa remembers it being. He wraps his arms around his fellow Champions and gives them all a hearty squeeze, reminding Urbosa of the picture Link still treasures to this day. “The little ones can take it from here. They’ll make us proud!”</p><p>“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Revali sneers, but a genuine smile pulls at his beak, and Urbosa wonders how frequently Link got to witness such a sight.</p><p>She hopes it was often enough: it is a good look on the surly Rito.</p><p>“They have already made us proud,” Mipha amends with a watery laugh, looking away from the living to join in the group hug. “They have a bright future ahead, with the many allies Link made during his journey. They deserve nothing but the utmost happiness.”</p><p>“That they do.” Urbosa sighs, and she gazes at Link and Zelda one last time as they walk hand in hand, away from the derelict castle grounds and towards a new life.</p><p><em>It’s up to you now;</em> <em>do</em> <em>take care of each other. </em>The Gerudo muses, a pleased smile on her lips. <em>Wait ‘til I tell your mother all you have accomplished, little bird. She will beam with pride.</em></p><p>“Alright.” Urbosa turns towards her companions, and the pull becomes stronger than ever, tugging at the core of their souls with an iron hook. “Let us go. Together.”</p><p>The air shimmers in a flash of green as they hold one another, safe and tucked away in Daruk’s arms. For a moment, there is nothing but their embrace, and Urbosa can almost feel her companions’ warmth once again. She blindly reaches for Revali’s wing and he reaches back hesitantly, his shaky fingers stilling once they wrap around Urbosa’s arm in a silent farewell.</p><p>Together, without breaking apart, they become glittering dust in a bright and colorful sky. They go.</p><p>On the winding road down below, two faces look up to the breathtaking afterglow, and their hands remain linked, holding on to each other for dear life. They stay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy holidays if you celebrate (and if not, hope you're having a fantastic day)! Here, have some pain :D</p><p>To those who have read my previous stories, thank you so much for the kudos, comments and bookmarks! I still cannot believe people out there enjoy my writing enough to praise it in any way, and I am more than happy to keep producing content for this little corner of the BOTW fandom. Revalink nation rise!</p><p>A huge thank you to my beloved beta and the biggest enabler, my wife &lt;3</p><p>As always, you can yell at me on <a href="https://coconi.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>. Thank you for reading!</p><p>P.S.: sorry (not sorry) the boys don't actually interact in this story, whoops.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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